30 October 2017

29 October 2017

@Glendale_Rosal

Ilocos United FC may be the clear underdogs when they play host team Global Cebu FC tonight in the Philippines Football League (PFL).

But the visitors vowed to frustrate Cebuano football fans who are rooting for a win by the Cebuano club at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC) football pitch.

The young team has learned a lot from its maiden year in the professional football scene, according to Ilocos United FC’s head coach Ian Gillan.The bottom ranked team from up north will be facing Global Cebu FC, the current number four in the PFL standings. Ilocos United has seven points so far from one win, 19 defeats and four draws while Global Cebu has 37 points from 10 wins, six losses and seven draws.

“Global’s one of the best in the country and it’s a privilege to travel here in Cebu and play against them. We are looking forward to play tomorrow (today). We are looking for a positive result and move forward from our forfeited match against FC Meralco,” said Gillan during yesterday’s presser at the Golden Prince Hotel.

Ilocos United FC was recently slapped a forfeiture in their match against FC Meralco Manila Sparks due to problems with its franchise agreement with the PFL. However. the problem has been resolved.

“We came down here a few months ago and we got beaten, 2-1. There were some controversies in that game which could have given a different result. Now we come to rectify that result and come back to Vigan with three points,” added Gillan.

Leading the league standings is FC Meralco Manila Sparks with 48 points (14-3-6 win-loss-draw) card followed by Kaya Makati FC with 47 points (14-7-5) and Ceres Negros FC with 42 points (13-4-3).

Akhbar Nawas, Global Cebu’s coach meanwhile, said that the team is still oozing with confidence going into tonight’s game despite losing to Kaya Makati FC, 0-2, last October 21 in the latter’s turf.

“The team is in high spirits. All the players recognized their mistakes in that loss and everyone’s working hard for tomorrow’s (tonight) match,” said Nawas. “It’s always dangerous to play against a team which is hungry for a win but we are prepared.”

Global Cebu’s ace skipper Misagh Bahadoran may suit up as a starter for the 7 p.m. match after he recovered from his shoulder injury but defender Amani Aguinaldo is expected to miss play as he is still nursing an injury. Dominic Del Rosario on the othjer hand is still serving his suspension.

Cambodia, who went into their match against the Philippines knowing that a draw would give them second place in Group G, had to settle for exactly that at the National Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh on Saturday.

The hosts, who lost their opening match 1-0 to China and defeated Myanmar 3-2 in their second, played to a scoreless draw despite turning on the heat in the second half.

Sin Kakada, who scored with two superb free-kicks against Myanmar, Seth Mannsouth and Sieng Chanthea all came close on several occasions, only to be thwarted either by second-choice keeper Jessie Reil Semblante or the woodwork and some poor finishing on their part.

The Philippines, looking to redeem themselves after 6-0 drubbings at the hands of China and Myanmar, played like a team transformed.

Strikers Mariano Suba Jr and Joshua Brocen and captain Jericho Sinconiegue proved constant thorns to their opponents with their speed and turn of pace but couldn't find a way through the Cambodian defence.

Cambodia will now have to wait until all group qualifiers are concluded to see if they’re placed among the five best second-placed teams to advance to the Finals.

Jose Maria Aberasturi: Philippines head coach

“The players followed the plan, which was to contain Sin Kakada, Sieng Chanthea and Teat Kimheng, who are all very good and dangerous players. The defence played very well, and this is the best we’ve been among all three qualifying matches. Cambodia are a very good team. They just keep running and running, and my players couldn't keep up, which explains all the substitutions in the second half. We only had less than a week of training, and so I’m quite pleased with how the qualifiers turned out.”

Inoue Kazunori: Cambodia head coach

“We expected a win and three points to have a better chance of qualifying for the Finals, so a draw is a regrettable result. But my players tried their best. We are still weak in the basics such as ball control, passing and finishing. We had many chances, but failed to convert them. We need to rectify these weaknesses to obtain better results. Over the course of the three games, I can't say we have been playing as well as we should as we keep losing many balls. But again, I must say the players did their best.”

Vietnam were clearly fired up to play after not being involved on the opening day’s proceedings. The hosts had an explosive start, hammering four goals within the first few minutes, to the delight of the home fans.

As the game progressed, the Vietnamese players also began to improve and this led to a flurry of goals. By the end of the first half, the local boys had reeled in another six goals to give them a smashing 10-0 lead at the break.

The floodgates remained open when the game resumed. The Vietnam players picked up from where they left off and fired with all guns blazing. Some 15 minutes into the second half, Vietnam had doubled the score and by the end of the match walked away with a massive margin.

Vietnam will face a tough opponent in Indonesia tomorrow in a tie that could likely decide which team tops the group. Indonesia have been impressive, scoring 30 goals in two matches thus far.

“We needed the goals and I am really sorry to the Philippines but we played with a lot of respect and that is why the players played with high intensity,” said Vietnam head coach Miguel Rodrigo. “The next match will be very important, so the players have to recover well from this game.”

27 October 2017

26 October 2017

Another three game home stretch is in store for Ceres-Negros FC and first up on the plate is nemesis JPV Marikina. The busmen will play Voltes on October 28 at the Panaad Stadium in Bacolod City.

The matchup has been interesting for both squads as the Marikina squad has been unbeaten in the last three games against Ceres. Both teams played the final match in the United Football League where the team formerly known as JP Voltes beat Ceres-La Salle 1-0 in 2016.

The Japanese flavored side picked up where they left off opening their PFL rivalry with a 2-1 win at the Rizal Memorial Stadium dealing Ceres-Negros their first loss in the inaugural league.

The Bacolod-based squad had a 2-0 advantage at halftime in their first tie in Bacolod but the ten-man JPV squad battled back to secure a 2-2 draw to keep the unbeaten streak intact early this month.

The two squads registered a loss in their last matches in the national league with Marikina getting a forfeit against Davao after a mishap with their required medical support. Ceres bowed against Stallion Laguna 0-2 in Binan after getting a slim win days prior.

After the uncharacteristic performance in Binan, Ceres Coach Risto Vidakovic rues the importance of getting the results in front of the home crowd in the next few games. “We are going home we have to give something to our crowd so the players should change their attitude for the next game, I hope.”

JPV will feature a well rested and complete lineup as Masaki Yanagawa and Sean Kane are already off suspension. Ceres will welcome back OJ Porteria, Super Herrera, Fernando Rodriguez, and Bienve Marañon back in the lineup but Stephan Schröck and Kevin Ingreso will be unavailable due to accumulated cards.

The busmen only need four points from the remaining eight games to qualify for the Finals Series while Voltes needs to win all their games plus a Global Cebu collapse to make it to the final four.

Match is set to kickoff on Saturday 4pm with free entrance provided to the grandstand and bleachers sections. It will be the final three matches of Ceres at home before the Finals Series.

Phnom Penh: China PR strolled to their second win while Cambodia came from two goals down to score a remarkable 3-2 triumph over Myanmar in Group G of the AFC U-19 Championship 2018 Qualifiers at the National Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh on Thursday.

Having needed a second half stoppage time goal to beat hosts Cambodia on Matchday One, China were in no mood for the same as they beat the Philippines 6-0.

China’s first goal was scored by Xia Ao in the 17th minute after his soft header slipped through the hands of Philippines keeper Quincy Julian Kammeraad.

Liu Ruofan (pictured above) then converted a penalty in the 41st minute before claiming his second with a clinical goal two minutes into time added on.

In the second half, it was Yeerfan Yezimujiang’s (pictured below) turn to steal the spotlight.

He scored in the 53rd minute after having come on only three minutes earlier, easily slotting home China’s fourth goal after winning a one-on-one encounter with keeper Kammeraad.

Yezimujiang found the back of the net again in the 72nd minute, but was ruled offside.

The hardworking forward made amends in the 82nd and 85th minutes, however, when slack defending on the part of the Philippines left him unmarked to seal a hat-trick.

The win means China are on track to seal automatic qualification for the AFC U-19 Championship 2018. They play Myanmar in their final group match on Saturday.

For the Philippines, it was their second consecutive defeat, having also suffered a 6-0 defeat to Myanmar on Tuesday.

Jia Xiuquan: China PR head coach

“It was an overall better performance than our first game against Cambodia. Our players are getting better and progressing. This win came about as we adjusted our techniques and perspectives from the first match, and we will continue to do the same in our next match.”

Jose Maria Aberasturi: Philippines head coach

“China were just too strong for us. We tried to hold them, but failed. We lost to a better team today.”

In the opening match of the tournament, Myanmar raced away to a resounding 13-0 win over Brunei while Indonesia wiped out the Philippines 21-0 in the other Group A tie today. The early wins for Myanmar and Indonesia are crucial to their hopes of advancing to the semi-finals and in the process qualifying for the Asian Futsal Championship.

In the second match of the day, Indonesia sent out an early warning to their opponents of the awesome firepower they possess.

Ardiansyah (6th, 31st, 33rd and 33rd minute) and Muhammad Subhan Faidasa (20th, 21st, 20th and 38th) led the Indonesian assault which saw them reeling in a total of eight goals.

The Philippine Men’s Futsal Team is set to participate in the upcoming AFF Futsal Championship 2017 from 26-30 October at the Phu Tho Stadium in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

The Philippines are in Group A alongside Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Myanmar, and host Vietnam. The tournament also serves as qualifiers to the AFC Futsal Championship 2018 with the top four teams gaining a berth to the final round.

The Philippines make their return to the competition after not participating in 2016 in a bid to participate regularly in all Futsal competitions.

There are 14 players in the squad. The head coach is Christian Dominguez and assisted by coaches Joseph Villarino and Ralph Datoy. The head of delegation is PFF Board Member and Misamis Oriental Camiguin-Gingoog El Salvador Cagayan de Oro Football Association president Percy Guarin.

HO CHI MINH CITY (25 Oct 2017) – Given the remarkable progress that Futsal in ASEAN has grown over the past few years, Vietnam head coach Miguel Rodrigo felt that the next edition of the AFF HDBank Futsal Championship will be more than just about Thailand.Powerhouse Thailand have won the AFF Futsal crown twelve times out of the 13 editions which had been held thus far. Speaking at the pre-match press conference this morning, Rodrigo said that the tournament this week will be more than just whether Thailand can continue with their domination.“I believe that it is not right to speak only about Thailand as several teams have improved over the last few years and they will continue to be competitive,” said Rodrigo.“As the hosts, of course we would like to win. Our main target is to make the cut for the AFC, then it is a place in the final and then to win the tournament in front of our own people which will be good.“Several teams have improved tremendously where at the last edition, Timor Leste and Myanmar made the semi-finals. Myanmar even made the final. Vietnam were the top four at the AFC and not to mention too Malaysia and Indonesia. So it will be a hard tournament for sure.”That sentiment was echoed by Thai head coach Jose Mendez, who said that since his arrival to Thailand in 2008, he has seen the tremendous progress of the indoor game.“We know all opponents well having played against them not only at the last AFF meet but also at the SEA Games,” added Mendez.“It is a difficult tournament, what more when it is a qualifiers. Several countries have improved a lot over the years and they will be fired up.“For us, we have had to rest Suphawut (Thueanklang) as he has not had a rest for the past two years. But I believe in the young players that they can be competitive.”

ADDITIONAL QUOTES“We had two months of preparation. But it was just training without the opportunity to play against any opponents. Naturally, we want to do well and win a place in AFC.” – Arianto Prametu, Indonesian team manager“We are in a tough group against the defending champions. Our preparations have been quite consistent since after the SEA Games. There will be no easy matches for sure.” – Chiew Chun Yong, Malaysian head coach“We know the quality of the oppositions. And while we may be in a tough group, we are still determined to repeat the performance at the last edition. I just the players to be competitive.” – Kyi Min Thein, Myanmar head coach“Our target is to make the semi-finals. We know that we will be up against the best teams in South East Asia but we are determined after having done quite well the last time round.” – Bruno Torres, Timor Leste head coach

“We have a relatively young team aged between 17-22. The PFF are looking at developing Futsal and where this team will be the start. We lacked maturity but they are all eager to play.” – Christian Dominquez, Philippines head coach

“We have spent much of the time training without having any friendly games. So for this tournament we have to play smart and be competitive for a place in AFC.” – Mohd Yunos Mohd Yusof, Brunei DS head coach“It is my first time taking this team. We could not have asked for a harder group than this and also having to play champions Thailand in our first match.” Sysaveuy Syvanasy, Laos head coach

24 October 2017

Ceres-Negros FC faces a daunting task when they meet Stallion Laguna FC on October 25 at the Biñan Football Stadium. The Negros squad will field a thin squad for their fourth meeting in the Philippines Football League.

Though they scored three wins against the Laguna based squad, four players will be suspended for the forthcoming match. Bienvenido Marañon, Fernando Rodriguez, Super Herrera, and OJ Porteria will serve suspensions for accumulated cards.

Both teams played their last match in cloudy but humid conditions with a 3pm kickoff last October 21. Ceres thwarted attacks from the home squad before pulling through with a glancing header from Bienvenido Maranon.

Stallion Laguna conjured many chances but were largely held by the Negros defense. Controversy erupted when Stallion midfielder was brought down in the box by Kota Kawase near the end. The referee continued the action with no foul or simulation called. The visitors won with a slim 1-0 advantage.

The home squad will be favorites in tomorrow’s match with Ceres fielding only a handful of substitutes in the match. The game will also kickoff at 3pm with free admission in the venue beside the Binan City Hall. A streaming link will be available via the Mycujoo platform.

23 October 2017

In an unfortunate turn of events, the match between JPV Marikina FC vs Davao Aguilas FC on October 22. 2017 was ruled in favor of Aguilas with an end score of 0-3.
Reason of which is that the supposed ambulances that were meant to be in Rizal Sports Complex had gotten into an accident on their way to the stadium. Please refer to the incident report Stat Med Emergency Health Solutions, Inc sent to us for the specifics:

The Philippine Boys Under-19 National Team begin their campaign in the AFC Under-19 Championship 2018 Qualifiers starting Tuesday 24 October 2017 at the National Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
The team left for Cambodia last Sunday 22 October and are in Group G along with host Cambodia, China PR, and Myanmar.

22 October 2017

Due to the unavailability of a minimum of two ambulances present at the venue, as required pursuant to Article 12.6 of the PFL Tournament Regulations, the match between JPV Marikina FC and Davao Aguilas FC has been called off.

The PFL will decide on the status of the match and announcement to follow.

BIÑAN--His team's huge win that boosted its PFL playoff bid did not stop Ceres Negros coach Risto Vidakovic from expressing his concerns about the league as evident in the recent developments.

In an interview with some reporters moments after a 1-0 win over Stallion Laguna at the Biñan Football Stadium on Saturday, the Serbian mentor first mentioned about the scheduling of the games.

"We are all tired already. We cannot talk anymore about football. We have to talk about how to keep the players safe," said Vidakovic, whose team is in the middle of a five-game swing in a span of 15 days. "It's not funny anymore. If [the league officials] don't care, we will not have a good league."Vidakovic then hit out at the officiating of the match."[The referees] influenced the result. There is no sense," Vidakovic continued. "With this kind of referees, we cannot expect other things."Among his concerns was an apparent handball violation against a Laguna player inside the penalty area but was not called by the referee.He even downplayed Bienve Marañon's 28th minute goal and a clean sheet for Mike Casas, who took over the posts with primary goalie Roland Muller suspended for the match, and kept on blasting the umpires."They have to focus on trying to be fair. With this kind of referees, we aren't going anywhere," Vidakovic concluded.

The match between Ilocos United FC and FC Meralco Manila scheduled on Friday 20 October 2017, has been declared a forfeiture (0 – 3) in favor of FC Meralco Manila.
Ilocos United FC is sanctioned with a loss of points (forfeit) as a result of failure to remedy, despite opportunity given, its non-compliance of the Franchise Agreement.Announcements will be made in relation to future matches.

With regard to the events and circumstances related to PFL Match #108 of Ilocos United FC vs FC Meralco Manila, Ilocos United will issue a formal statement on Monday morning after the club confers with its legal team. Thank you.